


Captain Apocalypse

by FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Healing, M/M, Superhero Daryl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-18 13:02:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3570617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN/pseuds/FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the return of BAMF motorcycle riding Daryl F'ing Dixon!</p>
<p>Season 5, after the arrival at the Alexandria Save Zone.  Deanna has not yet given Daryl a job.  This story picks up with her meeting with him (one of several meetings) after his Spaghetti Tuesday with Aaron and Eric.  We break away from canon, Daryl gets his mojo back.  Does Alexandria now have a new hero?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Birth of a Hero

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a little different. I’m tired of reading about man-pain Daryl, lost puppy Daryl, self-harming Daryl. Here he gets his mojo back, so to speak. :)

 

“Mr. Dixon….” Deanna eyed Daryl, who was seated on the couch in her living room. She was pacing slowly back and forth in front of the fireplace. He was semi-reclined on her leather couch, legs spread, sleeves cut off his button up flannel, ripped jeans, and boots looking like they’re ready to fall apart. His hair, though washed, still fell in a fringe across his eyes making it harder to see the crystalline blue irises.

He was casually, picking at his cuticles while gazing around the room, avoiding eye contact with Deanna.

“Yes’m, I think we already covered the fact my last name is Dixon.” He muttered, sarcastically.

“I’m still trying to figure you out. You are a mystery, wrapped up in an enigma, wearing a vest with angel wings.” She matched his squinty stare. She had met with Daryl several times already. The first couple times he bristled, barely answered her questions, paced back and forth like a caged lion. Now here he was, in relative comfort on her couch.

“Well, good luck with that. I still ain’t got myself figured out.” He rolled his eyes and went back to picking his cuticles.

“Aaron tells me that he had you over for dinner the other night…” she was still pacing slowly back and forth not taking her eyes off him.

“Some serious spaghetti” was Daryl’s blasé reply.

“That IS Aaron’s specialty. We missed you at the Welcome party but given the choice of party versus Aaron’s pasta, I’d go with the pasta myself.” She smiled at Daryl with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Daryl eyed her sideways, not quite believing in what she had just said.

“Aaron also tells me that he made you an offer. Have you accepted it?” she asked.

“Mmm-hmm” Daryl nodded, still avoiding her gaze.

“And from the state of your clothes, I wonder…. Was the first part of your mission successful?”

Daryl could barely stifle a small smile. He was covered in dust, dirt, oil and grease. He flipped the hair out of his eyes, stood up from the couch, arms crossed his chest showing off his bulging biceps. “Taking ‘er out for a test ride this afternoon.”

“Excellent! This is fantastic news. I do believe that you and Aaron will be successful in helping recruit good people to our community. We need to grow, rebuild. We need diversity. We need to build commerce. We need…”

“yeah yeah lady,” he rudely interrupted her. “That’s lost on me. Unless you wanna ride bitch with me, can I head back and finish my bike? Got shit to do!”

Deanna noticed a new fight in Daryl’s eyes. They were looking less and less feral with each of their meetings, and ever since Daryl’s night of Serious Spaghetti, there was a fierceness and determination there that seemed to bring new life to him. He’d busied himself with rebuilding the motorcycle in Aaron and Eric’s garage, and since then Deanna and the other residents had noticed a distinct change in Daryl’s attitude. Instead of glaring at people while huddled on the porch, he’d give a nod of acknowledgment to passersby. He was cordial, responding appropriately when spoken too instead of grunting and grumbling and avoiding people altogether.

The countless hours spent in Aaron and Eric’s home also allowed for a budding friendship. Aaron and Daryl did need to get to know each other to maximize their recruiting potential, but also to make sure they were on the same wavelength with communication. It had taken Rick and Daryl months (really, years) to achieve a level of unquestionable unspoken communication, to the point where people wondered if they were part psychic and could read each other’s minds. Aaron and Daryl would be best suited to achieve a similar style heaven forbid something happened while outside the walls of Alexandria. Aaron spent lots of time with Daryl in that garage, handing him tools and parts as needed, sitting in comfortable silence or engaging in benign chatter. Daryl wasn’t a tremendous conversationalist, but when he did speak, he was direct and to the point. There was no room for misinterpretation.

After the failed attempt to retrieve Buttons the horse when they were beyond the walls a few weeks earlier, Daryl and Aaron had taken to going hunting, together more often than not. Daryl taught Aaron a thing or two about tracking, and together they managed to bag three deer and two wild turkeys in one day. Aaron let Daryl receive all the credit for the successful hunt, and the residents of Alexandria were in awe of their new hunter. The teenagers would give him high fives, which at first he almost mistook for a punch to the face. Thankfully he figured that out before fists went flying. The older folks would wave from their porches, “the venison was outstanding Mr Dixon, thank you!” And Carol and Michonne, were all smiles and chatter planning a thanksgiving style feast when they eyed the two large turkeys. “Oh Daryl, stuffed turkey! We can make pies! Pumpkin pie, apple pie, steamed carrots with butter, yams…” and the ladies walked off leaving Daryl positively drooling at the thought of such a feast. They had not celebrated any real holidays since the Turn, so this was truly something special. “Hey, check in with Aaron and Eric. They make a mean pumpkin cheesecake, to die for!” he called out after them. Both Carol and Michonne stopped, looked over their shoulder back at him. “Say, what?!?” asked Michonne.

“Pumpkin. Cheesecake. Woman. Go ask them about it. Serious PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE.” He just shook his head like they lost their mind and walked off to Aaron’s house.

“Never in my life did I ever expect to hear Daryl Dixon flouting the talents of a fellow man’s cheesecake making skills,” said Michonne.

“Ha!” laughed Carol. “Well, whatever affect they’re having on him, I’m all for it. It’s a welcome change from his particularly grumpy attitude of late. I wonder what other recipes those fellas have. We’ll have to check their cookbooks out!”

 

* * *

 

 

Daryl was now so welcomed in Aaron and Eric’s home, that he no longer needed to knock. Eric regularly greeted him from his spot on the couch, nursing a busted ankle. But he always greeted Daryl with a cheerful smile and playful banter.

“Good afternoon, sweetie! Help yourself to the coffee. Made you some blueberry muffins too!” He shot a wink Daryl’s way. Daryl just shook his head and huffed. “Thanks, gonna see if I can get the bike to start this afternoon. Got an hour or so left to do on it.”

“That’s fantastic! Great job, Daryl! You still gonna come ‘round even after the bike is done? We’ve gotten used to having you around so often.”

“’course, I ain’t got no garage, so gotta store it here. And it’s my excuse to get away from the house. Gets crowded sometimes.”

“I hear ya. Well, if you need anything, just give me a holler,” and he turned back to the book he was reading.

Daryl let himself into the garage, and set to finishing up what he started. The bike was coming along nicely. Aaron’s runs had been successful in retrieving almost all the necessary parts to complete the bike. It wasn’t perfect, but it should run, and Daryl was just itching to feel the wind in his hair and horsepower between his legs again. There was nothing so calming to him as the roar of a motorcycle and cruising down winding country roads. Granted it was much more dangerous these days with walkers, and fallen trees and debris littering the roadways, but he felt it would be more of a challenge in maneuvering and therefore much more fun!

A couple hours later, Aaron had returned from helping Deanna with a project and brought in a sweet tea for Daryl. “Aw, thanks man, much appreciated” and he chugged down nearly the whole glass without taking a breath. “Ah, hit the spot. Hey, she’s almost ready to start.   Grab the garage door, I’m gonna wheel her out.”

Aaron did as requested, and Daryl maneuvered the bike down to the end of the driveway. He left it leaning on its stand, grabbed a rag and gave it a quick wipe down. Added some fuel, tested the lights, and decided it was ready to give the key a turn. By then, several residents, along with Rick, Deanna, and Carol had noticed the commotion and were standing a polite distance away to see how Daryl made out with the bike.

“Wasn’t expecting no audience, but… here goes!” He looked to Aaron and Eric with a smile, Eric winked right back at him. He turned the key, and the motorcycle roared to life. Daryl revved the engine, and his face lit up in sheer delight. Aaron was grinning and clapping, and Daryl received cheers, clapping, and whistles from the crowd. Rick and Carol walked over, Rick slapped Daryl on the shoulder and gave him a firm squeeze. Carol grabbed his hand and raised it in the air like a champion fighter who just won a title match. “You did it! Yay!”

Daryl just shook his head, and scoffed. But inwardly, he was happier than he had been in a very long time. The bike worked, the townsfolk weren’t looking at him as if he was a monster anymore, and he was going for his first ride in far too long.

Daryl straddled the bike, gave it a good rev much to the delight of the townsfolk. “Taking it beyond the walls?” asked Carol. “Hell yeah!” was Daryl’s response. She leaned in and kissed him on the temple, “Stay safe out there!”

He gave her a gentle smile, and nodded. He gave Rick a playful smack to the gut, and put his fist out to Aaron and Eric for a fist bump. Two “manly” fist bumps later, Daryl took his bike out on her maiden voyage. He roared up to the gates, more clapping and cheering from the sniper on duty and the gate keepers. Daryl had scored some shades which he put on, and then tore out of Alexandria like a bat out of hell. They could hear the motorcycle tearing off into the distance, with it’s rider full of pride and feeling more whole than he had in too long. An hour later, he was back at the gates. He drove himself back up and into Aaron and Eric’s garage. Perma-grin on his face, the likes of which very few had seen. Carol and Rick were there with the guys, and greeted Daryl with shots of Jack Daniels. “Shhhh,” said Eric. “I pilfered this for you the other day. Congratulations on a job well done! That motorcycle, you did a great job getting it up and running.”

Rick put his arm around Daryl’s shoulder and gave him a friendly squeeze. Quietly and into Daryl’s ear he whispered, “Hey, it’s great to have you back man. Really.” Daryl looked him straight in the eye with a bit of surprise. He knew what Rick meant; he wasn’t talking about just having Daryl back from his jaunt beyond the walls, but that Daryl was getting back to himself again. Things had been hard for him, for all the group lately, and this was the first glimpse of normalcy that was slowly returning to his life. It wasn’t just Rick that noticed it.

Carol get his arm a squeeze too, and a smile. “You looked good out there, take me for a ride sometime handsome?” she asked. She giggled as Daryl’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “Anytime. Anytime you want.”

Daryl, Carol, Rick and the guys stood outside on the porch chatting when Deanna walked up. “Well, as I live and breathe…. Daryl Dixon….” Deanna was smiling from ear to ear as she walked up the steps. Daryl stood with his arms across his chest, bulging biceps, and smug look on his face. “You took parts, from various motorcycles, pieced them together to create this magnificent piece of machinery, and then tore out of here like a… comic book super hero! I do believe I saw a smile grace your face as you took off down the road. Am I right? Captain Alexandria? No, no… that’s won’t do. Captain Apocalypse. Yes, that’s it! That’s you Mr. Dixon, our very own Captain Apocalypse. You’re going to be our hero, just you wait and see. Alexandria is going to rise from the ashes; we will create a new world, together. Thank you so very much for your hard work! There are great things to come!” She put out her hand, and Daryl took it and gave it a firm shake. “I’ll leave you to your celebrating. Enjoy Mr. Dixon, you deserve it.”

“Captain Apocalypse? I like it!” and Rick slapped Daryl on the back and laughed, to which Daryl just shook his head and smiled.

 


	2. Spoiled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Aaron go out on a practice run, and Daryl impresses Deanna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not a clue where I'm going with this story. I don't map out my stories at all, but it's something I'm going to consider doing to help organize my thoughts. The typical process right now? A random idea will pop into my head, and I just let the words flow out of my hands.

 

Daryl and Aaron were in the garage preparing for a practice run. Aaron wanted Daryl to get comfortable with their surroundings beyond the walls, and know the lay of the land in case they ever got separated. He wanted him to be able to find his way back, as well as know safe places to hunker down for the night if the need ever arose. Eric appeared in the doorway.

“Aaron? Can I borrow you for a second?” asked Eric.

Aaron looked up and nodded, following him into the house. “I just need that rack and dishes from the cabinet over the refrigerator; Carol and I are working on some jerky while you boys are out.”

While Aaron went to get the step stool and get the requested item, Eric stepped back into the garage.

“Daryl, there are a few items I’d like to add to the list, but they’re…” he paused to make sure Aaron wasn’t within earshot, and whispered “top secret!”

Daryl nodded and hummed his consent, “what’chya got?”

“Well, Aaron’s birthday is coming up, and I need a few hard to find items.”

“License plates? I got a list of the ones you’re missing. And I didn’t forget about Mrs Neidermayer’s pasta maker.”

“Thank you, but it’s beyond that sweetie,” he peered around the door again, and with Aaron not in sight he continued. “If you come across a store, hit the baking aisle. I’m looking for saffron and real vanilla beans. They’re rare, not something you’d find at the corner store, if you know what I mean.  And here's a list of a few other spices, we use them in our Serious Spaghetti.”  Eric tossed Daryl a wink at that.

“Sure thing. I’ll keep my eyes peeled,” he replied. He was on his knees tinkering with the bike, making some final adjustments.   He looked up to see Eric still standing there. “Anything else?” he asked.

“Oh, no sweetie, I just like watching you work,” he said with a grin. Daryl huffed, and nodded his head with an incredulous look on his face. “A’right,” he muttered. He didn’t particularly enjoy being the center of attention, but Eric was harmless and Daryl was starting to enjoy the company of his two new friends.

Aaron returned, with a hand to Eric’s shoulder, “I got your things down for you. Did you have any special requests for this run?”

Eric shook his head, trying to hide his smile. “All set, hon. Just the…’’

“Pasta maker, I know,” he interrupted. “Almost ready Daryl?”

“Mmm-hmm, ready to roll.”

Daryl was wheeling the bike out of the garage. He slung his bag over his back, and put the crossbow in it’s holder on the bike. He was securing his knives on his belt, and checking his gun and ammunition supply when Carol walked up.

“Heading out?”

“Practice run. Need anything?” he asked.

She pursed her lips, shook her head no. “Just wanted to come see you off. Tell you to come back safe.”

Daryl eyed her outfit up and down with a look of discontent on his face. She rolled her eyes and scoffed at him. “What?!?”  
“I can get you some new clothes, ya know. Something less… Stepford Wives?” he asked.

“Excuse me? And just what is wrong with this?” she asked, giving him a twirl. She was dressed in tweed pants, and an obnoxious floral sweater.

“Fine, want me to get you a pearl necklace to go with that ensemble?”

“Ensemble? Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use that word. Aaron and Eric must be rubbing off on you.”

“Hey now,” he protested. “I may be a redneck, but I ain’t stupid.”

“Never said you were. You never cease to amaze me. Tell me something else I don’t know about you,” she asked.

“I prefer to be a man of mystery,” he grumbled.

“That you are!”

He appeared to be grumpy, but Carol knew better. He didn’t like it when people were around when he left for a run. It felt too much like a goodbye. He tolerated Carol’s presence before his runs, but only Carol. She had his back from pretty much day one, and that earned his love and respect which he shared with precious few people. He was free to be himself with her, he didn’t have to hide who he was. They shared a common bond, and that bond was unbreakable.

She put her hand on his forearm, “Come back to me?”

He swung his leg over the bike and nodded. Aaron came out of the garage, hand and hand with Eric. “I’ll meet you at the gate,” he said as they walked by.

Carol sighed. This was the hardest part. He had gone on countless runs by now, but there was always that fear in the back of her mind and the possibility that he might not make it back.

“Once more unto the breach…” and Daryl started up the bike.

Carol gasped, “Shakespeare?” He gave her a small smile, and her arm a squeeze before pulling away. Carol watched him as he rumbled up to the gates. Aaron and Eric were forehead to forehead, saying their goodbyes. She watched them embrace, then Eric backed away with his hand still in Aaron’s. Fingers lingered, and finally broke apart. Eric was not a fan of goodbyes either, Carol saw him take a swipe at his eye as he walked back toward her and his house. Daryl and Aaron waved to Carol, and then they were gone and the gate closed behind them.

Carol stood in her place in the driveway until Eric returned. His eyes were wet with tears, “Never gets easier, does it?”

Carol shook her head, and gave him a brief hug. “Come on, let’s go distract ourselves.” And she walked him back into the house with her arm around him.

  

* * *

 

 

Daryl pulled into a parking lot of a large but seemingly barren shopping mall, Aaron close behind him in the car. There was a barricade of cars near the entrance, but Daryl could see that nobody had been there in quite a long while. The doors to the mall were broken, at least entry would be easy for them. No walkers in sight, Daryl quickly parked the bike and turned it off. The noise would surely draw any walkers from nearby. Aaron was at his side, and together they walked silently into the building, guns and knives at the ready.

They happened upon a kitchen supplies store, and Aaron’s eyes went wide and a smile lit up his face. “Mrs Neidermayer’s pasta maker!” he whispered at Daryl. Daryl just shrugged his shoulder and handed him the flashlight, “I’ll wait here.”

While Aaron was searching for the much coveted pasta maker, Daryl looked around to see what stores were nearby. Across the way was a spice emporium. A torn sign in the display window indicated they sold rare exotic spices and other kitchen gourmet items.

“Aaron?” he whispered loudly through the doorway. “Yeah?” he responded from somewhere a few aisle over. “Gonna check a store, I’ll be back in a few minutes!”

Daryl moved stealthily across the open expanse of the inside of the mall. There were countless stores around him. He could hear the gasps and growls of a walker somewhere amongst the stores, but it sounded far off. He made it quietly into the Spice Emporium and scanned the aisles until he found what he was looking for. He pocketed the saffron. The vanilla beans, he grabbed extra of. He knew Carol could use it for her recipes as she had become quite the baker of late, and everyone looked to her to make breads, muffins, cakes, and the like.

He also found packets of spices to be used for marinating meats, they would come in handy when it came to making jerky. The salts helped cure and preserve the meats, and the extra flavor from the spices would be a welcomed treat. It would also help to hide the gamier flavor of meats like opossum, squirrel, and raccoon. One couldn’t be too picky about their source of meat these days, as Alexandria was lacking beef and dairy cattle, and chickens. You get your protein wherever you can.

He grabbed some more items, and made his way back to Aaron. He was leaning in the doorway of the store, smiling and holding his hands up in victory. He had found the pasta maker!   All of Alexandria was surely to rejoice after months Mrs Neidermayer’s nonstop talk about the blasted pasta maker. “What did you get?” he asked in a whisper. “Just stuff for jerky, good to have when we’re on our runs. We passed an animal shelter on our way here, I want to stop in when we head back too.”

“Looking to adopt?” Aaron asked with a grin.

“Yep, getting me a hunting dog, genius,” he replied sarcastically. “Gonna see if they have live animal traps. No reason why we cain’t catch and domesticate some animals. Apparently you people don’t have an appreciation for opossum. But rabbits, chickens, turkeys, might have some luck getting those.”

Aaron was impressed. Daryl had the right idea. Now that Alexandria’s population had nearly doubled, they were going through their food sources nearly twice as fast. They could not count on the animal population outside the walls forever, and he didn’t know their migratory patterns enough to know the most efficient times to hunt. Getting an on-site breeding program started could help them tremendously.

“Deanna will be impressed, that’s a great idea.”

“Ain’t looking to impress, just looking to survive,” he said with a huff. “Come on.”

They made their way back out of the mall, and loaded their items into the car. They drove to the animal shelter, and Daryl was able to find an assortment of live animal traps. He loaded those into the car along with their small supply of dog food. There was at least one resident dog in Alexandria, and he could also use some of it in the animal traps.

By that time, it was late afternoon and the sky was beginning to darken. It was thick with heavy clouds, and Daryl could hear a rumble in the distance.

“Storm’s coming, wanna head back?” asked Aaron.

Daryl shook his head. “Won’t make it, I can smell the rain already. Let’s find a place for the night.” Aaron nodded. They took off down the road, aiming to make it back into familiar territory. There were several safe outbuildings and homes that they could stay in for the night. Daryl found a barn on a hill up a long driveway, and he made for it just as the first drops started to fall from the sky. They cleared the barn quickly, and pulled the vehicles inside.

There was a small woodstove and a stack of firewood inside. Bales of hay and horse blankets meant they had a warm, dry, and somewhat comfortable camp for the night. It was nearly black outside when Aaron started the fire. He didn’t want the smoke to draw attention to their location during the daylight. He pulled a couple cans of soup from his bag, opened them and placed them on the wood stove to warm. Daryl pulled a couple bottles of water from his pack, and tossed one to Aaron. “I’ll take first watch.”

He stood by the door, watching from the cracks as the rain poured down from the sky. He was reminded of that night in a similar barn where the entire group had stood behind the barn doors holding off a small horde of walkers had tried to overtake them. He smiled thinking of how despite their despair at the time, that didn’t keep them from giving it everything they had to keep each other safe. It was the opposite of what Daryl had growing up. Who knew the apocalypse would end up being a positive turning point in his life? He shook his head at the thought.

Suddenly Aaron was beside him, handing him the can and spoon. “Dinner is served!” he grinned.

Daryl grunted his thanks. Aaron sat down on a bale of hay opposite him with his own dinner. “This is nice,” he said.

“It’s a barn. Smells like horseshit.”

“Well, yes, but I mean the quiet. It’s nice. With Eric I always having to shush him. He’s a constant chatterbox, which you know is as good as making yourself roamer bait. We even found ourselves in trouble a few times because of it. Now don’t get me wrong, I adore Eric, love him with all my heart, but it’s a bit of a relief not having him here talking us to our deaths.”

Daryl gave Aaron a sidelong glance, “He’s the chatterbox?”

Aaron opened his mouth to speak, and stopped. He just wagged his finger at Daryl and smiled. “And there I was babbling on. Sorry.”

Daryl went back to watching out the door. “S’okay. Just keep it quiet, I don’t mind.”

Aaron nodded, and ate his dinner in silence. When he was done he checked the woodstove, and warmed his hands. There was a chill in the air that night, and the dampness from the rain made it feel cooler than it was. He grabbed two horse blankets, put one over his shoulders and carried the other over to Daryl. He positioned the bales of hay into a makeshift bed, and plopped down pulling the blanket over top of him. With arms behind his head, he stared at the ceiling. His eyes were drawn to Daryl though. Daryl was a mystery, nobody seemed to have him quite figured out. Not even Rick. There was something about him. He had a rough gruff exterior, but his eyes, they told a different story. He saw the gentle way he looked on Carol, and Rick’s children. He’d seen it in watching him interact with Eric too. Daryl was an excellent judge of character, and Aaron could already tell just by looking in his eyes what Daryl thought of a person. When it came to recruiting, Aaron new he made the right choice in making Daryl his partner. He didn’t realize he was staring, until Daryl was glaring right back at him.

“I’m sorry. I was staring. How rude of me.”

“Got something on yer mind?” he asked.

“Always! Was just thinking about the recruiting though. I don’t think I’m going to regret my choice in selecting you to be my partner.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, you may be a mystery, Daryl, but you’re an easy read.”

“Pray tell, what exactly does that mean?” he asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“It’s your eyes. I’ve always believed them to be the gateway to the soul.   Now yours, they’re hidden behind that hair of yours. Have you considered getting it cut? A trim perhaps? Jessie is excellent with a pair of scissors, you saw how she turned Rick into something less of a caveman. And, there I go again, babbling.”

He paused, getting his thoughts together. “Your eyes. They change depending on whom you’re with. I’ve seen you with Rick and his children, and with Carol. They’re soft.   With Deanna, and other members of your group, they are firm. With those you don’t trust, the bad people, your eyes are fierce.”

“Mm’kay….”

“It’s a good thing. Don’t worry, not everybody sees you the way I do. So you’re not obvious.”

“How does everybody see me, exactly?” His voice took on a defensive tone. He hadn’t meant it to, but Daryl had spent so much of his life in the judgment of others, that defensiveness was just second nature to him.

“At first, they were unsure, maybe even afraid of you. But they’ve seen you come back from your hunts, and turn over your catches to Olivia instead of keeping them for yourself. And having the venison and turkey on a regular basis now makes for grateful and happy tummies. You’re a provider, and they’re thankful to have you.”

“Or just using me for fresh meat.”

“No. Everyone has jobs. Everyone has to commit and contribute to Alexandria. Everyone is needed in order to make that place grow and thrive. But you… you go above and beyond. I’ve seen you come back from your solo hunts with extra. Comic books for Carl and the other kids. Baby toys for Judith. I even saw you pick up that jasper stone for Michonne. You care. You’re not in this just for yourself.”

“Weren’t nobody in it for me before. Learned a lot along the way, from Rick. Carol. The kids, they deserve better than this. But they’re the future, they should be treasured.”

Aaron was smiling at him.

“What?”

“You’re a good man, Daryl Dixon.”

Daryl just huffed again, shrugged his shoulders. “Gonna take a piss.” And with that he was out the door. Aaron smiled and shook his head. When Daryl returned, he rolled over and went to sleep. They still had a long drive back to Alexandria in the morning, and he would need to relieve Daryl in a few hours to take over watch.

Daryl stood in position, peering into the dark and thinking over what Aaron had just said. He didn’t feel like he was anyone special. He had regrets just like anyone else. And the things he did for Rick’s family, and their group, was because he didn’t want them to ever have to experience the extremes that he did as a child in an abusive family. The hunger, the hurt, the fear. Granted it was a part of their everyday lives now, but he would do whatever he could for those that had done right by him.

 

* * *

 

 

The sky was just beginning to lighten, when Daryl felt a hand on his shoulder. He jolted upright, hand going straight for the knife at his belt. “Hey, it’s just me” whispered Aaron, “you told me to wake you at first light.” Daryl mumbled in response, and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“Let’s get whatever tools we can from here. Halters, bridles, saddles, feed buckets, everything. Anything we can use. If we get any horses, cattle, or pigs, could come in handy.”

Aaron nodded in agreement and they loaded the car with whatever they could. They were on the road by the time the sun was rising, and were back at the gates of Alexandria before noon. Deanna greeted them at the gates.

“Good morning Aaron, good morning Daryl. From the looks of that load, I trust your practice run was quite successful.”

“It was!” replied Aaron. “Daryl found Mrs Niedermayer’s pasta maker, and he had some excellent ideas on bringing in and domesticating animals to provide Alexandria with a meat source.”

Daryl turned and shot a glare at Aaron for lying. Aaron had actually found the pasta maker, not him. He crossed his arms across his chest and huffed in frustration.

“Is that so, Mr Dixon?” Deanna looked to Daryl with a smile on her face. “The pasta maker find is music to my ears, we will welcome a reprieve from Mrs. Niedermayer’s incessant tirade about that silly pasta maker. Now tell me more about this grand idea of yours.”

Deanna was standing right by Daryl’s side, gazing up at him with that wide politician smile. It was a bit unnerving to him.

“Don’t think we should rely on hunting alone. Got some live animal traps, we can get ourselves established with a population of rabbits, poultry, maybe some pigs if we’re lucky. Their waste can be composted and used in the gardens, and we’ll get better quality crops. Rick knows about that stuff.”

Deanna interrupted him, “Thinking to the future, that is truly excellent Mr. Dixon. That is exactly what we need here. This is hope for the future. Thank you, Daryl. Keep these fantastic ideas coming! You’ve got great vision! I’ve got to go discuss this with Reg. Please excuse me. I’ll come find you later, I’m sure we’ll have lots more to discuss.” And with that she was almost powerwalking back to her home.

“See? She really likes you!” said Aaron.

“What did you go lying to her for, that pasta maker was your find. Credit where credit is due, what’s wrong with that?”

Aaron put both his hands up in mock surrender. “It was wrong, I’m sorry, but I wanted to ensure that you remain on my team is all.”

Daryl grumbled to himself and started unloading. He gave the pasta maker to Olivia to pass on to Mrs Niedermayer, and took the traps and secret items with him back to Aaron’s garage. He had no place to store at his own home, and he could use Aaron’s help setting up the traps on their next trip out anyway.

“Honey, you’re home!” came a happy voice, and Daryl was suddenly enveloped in Eric’s arms. “I’m so glad you’re back!” he said, giving Daryl a tight squeeze.

Eric then moved to Aaron, who took him into his arms, and kissed him passionately like they had just been reunited after months apart. Daryl suddenly felt very awkward, backed out of the garage and right into Carol. She yelped when he stepped on her foot, he whirled around and caught her, both hands on her upper arms. “Ouch!”

“Oh sorry, didn’t see you there. Was just, uh… giving them their space” he said, gesturing back to the love birds who had yet to come up for air.

Carol glanced in their direction, and laughed. “Oh, it’s sweet! But I’m glad you’re back,” and she gave his hand a squeeze. She didn’t let go, but he let her hold his hand.

“I got your something while I was out.” He reached into his satchel, and pulled out three bottles of vanilla beans. “Thought you could use this for your baking.”

Carol’s eyes lit up, “Thank you! You didn’t have to do that!”

“Saw it, thought of you, s’all,” giving her hand a squeeze back. “Aaron got the pasta maker too for that Mrs Needy-whatever woman too.”

“You’re my hero. If I had to listen to one more conversation about that stupid pasta maker, I was gonna….” She just smiled up at Daryl. “Thank you, truly!”

He shrugged it off, “Got some spices and stuff for jerky too. How these people have made it this long without eating squirrel and ‘possum is beyond me.”

“Careful now, you’ll spoil them rotten!” she mused, smiling up at him.

“Pfft, they need a good dose of reality.”

“And they will! Come on, you’ll need stuff for your next run. Help me make some jerky,” and she dragged him out the door and back to their home.

“And if you’re a good helper, I might even make you some cookies!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're enjoyed the ride so far! More fun to come! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I originally meant this to be just one chapter only, but I'm thinking there's room to grow. Yes?


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